Separator attachment for roughage mills



March 9, 1937. J. HOLLAND-LETZ 2,072,920

SEPARATOR ATTACHMENT FOR ROUGHAGE MILLS Original Filed May 9. 1930 2Sheets-Sheet 1 I lll. l0/m Hozzandifz tf1 fw 2 Sheets-sheet 2 J.HLLAND-LETZ original Filed May 9. 1930 March 9, 1937.

SEPARATOR ATTACHMENT FOR ROUGHAGE MILLS vBY 5 u E 4L Patented Mar. 9,1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE John Holland-Letz, Crown Point, Ind.,assignor to The Letz Manufacturing Company, a corporation of IndianaApplication May 9, 1930, Serial No. 451,101 Renewed May 8, 1935 d 16Claims.

The present invention relates to roughage mills and more particularly toan attachment for roughage mill for increasing the capacity andeilciency of a roughage mill.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a novel andimproved device which may be made in the form of an attachment for aroughage mill for separating certain of the materials from certain otherof the materials passing 1o through the mill, such for example,separating the heavier materials from the lighter materials andpermitting only the heavier materials to pass through the grindingmechanism for further reduction.

A further object of the invention is to'provide a novel and improvedattachment for a roughage mill which will separate grain, corn orheavier materials from the lighter materials as the same is passingthrough the roughage mill and thereby reducing the amount of materialthat is required to pass through the grinding mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedattachment for roughage mill which will separate certain of the heaviermaterial from the lighter material so that only the heavier materialwill pass through the grinding mechanism of the roughage mill, tothereby increase the capacity of the roughage mill manyfold.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improvedseparator attachment for a roughage mill which in turn is provided withan adjustable separating mechanism in the form of slatted vanes or baileplates whereby the same `may be adjusted for the purpose for which it isbeing used so that it may properly separate the heavier materials fromthe lighter.

Ihese and other objects are accomplished by providing a construction andan arrangement of the various parts in the manner hereinafter describedand particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an end elevational view, partly in cross section of one formof roughage mill, showing my improved separator attachment mountedthereon.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View partly in cross section, showing theseparating attachment per se.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 4 4 in Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the 55 -'.i-5 line in Fig. 2.

(Cl. 14E-76) 4The present invention is an improvement over' myco-pending application, Serial No. 180,085, led April 1, 1927, nowmatured into Patent No. 1,868,983.

It is well known that the grinding of forage results in thepulverization of certain of the lighter ingredients, and theirconversion into an injurious dust. Heretofore it has been the practiceto include in machines of this class an elaborate means for separatingand extracting this injurious dust from the rest of the forage. In thepresent method and machine, the formation of this injurious dust has notonly been prevented, but the material which formerly pulverized intothis dust is now included in the forage as a bene'- cial element.

In carrying out my method for preparing forage for cattle, I have shownmy improved separator attachmentin connection with a form of roughagemill disclosed in the-above entitled copending application. The roughagemill in this instance comprises the usual frame supporting structureindicated by the reference character I0 which in turn is provided withthe usual main shaft II, cutter head I2, cutter head casing I3, acircular grate I4, located below and surrounding the cutter head.Located at one side of the cutter head I2 and secured to the main driveshaft II is a conveyor screw I5. Positioned adjacent the conveyor screwis a grinding mechanism generally indicated by the reference characterI6. Positioned over the conveyor screw I5 is a hopper I'I. Positionedbelow the grate I4 is another conveyor screw I8 which is operativelydriven through a train of gears I9. The conveyor screw is mounted in asuitable trough 20, which in turn communicates with a conduit 2|l forconveying the material from the cutter head to a fan casing generallyindicated bythe reference character 22. Positioned between the conduit2I and the conveyor trough 20 is a removable plate or gate 23 forcontrolling the communications therebetween. Positioned between thedelivery end of the conveyor trough 20 and the passage leading to theconveyor screw I5 is a second removable gate 24. From the abovedescription it will be readily seen that the material may be eitherdirected from the conveyor trough 20 through the conduit 2I into the fancasing or the plate 23 may be insertedand the gate 24 removed so thatthe material may be conveyed from the trough 20 into a separatingmechanism hereinafter described.

Mounted within the fan casing 22 is a suitable fan 25 secured on a shaft26 which in turn is mounted on suitable bearings on the main frame. Thematerial ground by the grinding mechanism I6 is conveyed through aconduit 21 into the fan casing 22. Certain of the pulverized materialsis withdrawn from the delivery end of the conveyor apron adjacent thecutter head casing I3 by a hood 28 which is connected by another conduit29 to the fan casing 22.

The mechanism above described is substantially identical with themechanism described in the above referred to co-pending application. Forfurther details as to structure and operation, see above mentionedco-pending application.

The important feature of the present invention consists in a novelmethod for preparing forage for cattle and a novel device which includesa separating mechanism in the form of an attachment for a roughage mill.This machine is especially adapted for separating kaffer-corn, corn,corn cobs, oats and the like from the lighter material after thematerial has passed through the cutter head so that only the heavymaterial (which is the only material requiring further reduction) may bepassed through the grinding mechanism. Obviously by separating thelighter material (which heretofore clogged the grinding mechanism), fromthe heavier material, a substantial increase in the capacity andefficiency of the machine is accomplished.

`This attachment comprises a hood-like separator casing 30 which has anenlarged bottom seated on the hopper I1. The casing gradually taperstoward the upper end thereof and is offset or inclined to one side ofthe hopper on which it A is mounted. Secured on the main shaft I I ofthe roughage mill, between the cutter head I2 and the conveyor screw Iis a fan hub 3| which in turn is provided with fan blades 32 secured toflanges of the hub by means o-f rivets 33. This fan 32 is mounted withina casing or housing formed by a partition wall 34 between the conveyorscrew I5 and the fan housing and a second partition wall 35 formedbetween the fan housing and the cutter head I2. Communicating with thefan housing and extending vertically upward in a line tangent with thecircumference thereof is an upwardly discharge spout 36. This dischargespout receives and discharges the materials that are delivered by thefan into the separating hood 36. The upper or top sides of the hood 3,6are curved as shown at 31 and inclined at an angle of substantiallyforty-five degrees (45) as shown at 38. At spaced intervals along thetop 38 of the hood 30 are inwardly extending deflectors 39 which are forthe purpose of directing the material against the separating vanes orblades hereinafter described.

Mounted within the hood 36 are three sets of separating vanes or bladeswhich are adjustable from the outside. These separator blades or vanesare indicated generally by the reference character 40. These separatingvanes of which there are three in number, are constructed substantiallythe same except that they are proportionally smaller as the hood orseparator casing becomes smaller toward the top. These separating bladesor vanes are preferably though not necessarily made of one sheet ofmaterial and are arranged in a box-like fashion comprising twosubstantially vertically extending side members 4I and transverseforward slats 42 which are normally positioned in the same verticalplane. Three of such slats are positioned horizontally across, the frontside of each of these separator vanes or blades leaving an opening asshown at 43 on the forward side. Positioned directly across the opening43 in the vanes are similar horizontal slats or blades 44, thus leavingan opening on the rear side as shown at 45. It will be noted that thereare just two such horizontal blades on the rear sides of theseseparating vanes.

From the above construction it will be readily seen that as the materialis blown upwardly by the fan 32 and directed by the deector 39 againstthe separating vanes, the heavier material will strike the slats ofthese vanes, i. e., either the front ones or the rear ones and then dropdownwardly while the lighter material will pass through openings betweenthe slats of the vanes up through the hood 30 into the conduit leadingto the fan casingr 22. Each of the separator vanes are pivotally mountedin the opposite sides 46 of the separator hood 30 by means of a bolt andwasher 41 on one side thereof and by means of a washer 48 mounted in anaperture 50 in one of the sides of the hood. Each of the separator vanes40 are provided with downwardly andY laterally extending crank arms 49and have their upper ends secured to the vanes by means of bolts orrivets 50 which extend through the washers 48 to the inner side of thevanes. The lower ends of the cranks 49 are pivotally connected as shownat 50 to a bar or connecting rod 5I. The lower end of the connectingbar, as shown at 52 is connected to a hand operating lever or rod 53.The hand operating lever or bar 53 may be adjusted to various positionsand locks in these positions by clamps 54. From the above description itwill be readily seen that these baiiles or separator vanes may besimultaneously adjusted by the hand lever 53 for the purpose ofaccommodating the various types of material passing through theseparator.

Connected with the delivery end of the separator casing is an elbow 55which in turn is connected to a conduit 56. This conduit 56 is connectedto a second elbow 51 which in turn is connected to an extension 58 whichcommunicates with the fan casing 22.

The operation of my improved separator attachment for a roughage mill isas follows:

Let us assume that the gate 23 is positioned in place so as to cut offcommunication between the trough 20 and the conduit 2I and that the gateor plate 24 is removed from the upper delivery end of the trough 20.With the parts so arranged the material is fed onto the usual conveyorapron to the cutter head I2, where it is cut and then passed through thegrate I9 to the conveyor I8. The roughage is then conveyed to the leftby the conveyor I8 where it is drawn 11pwardly by the revolving fan 32and forced upwardly vertically through the discharge spout 36 into theseparating hood 30. From the discharge spout 36 the material is directedagainst the curved portion 31 of the hood 30 where it comes in contactwith the rst deilector 39 and is d1- rected against the rst one of thethree sets of separating vanes or blades 40 where the heavier particlessuch as corn and corn stalks and also cobs, where corn is being fed intothe machine, strikes the slats or plates 42 on the front side of thevanes and drops down into the bottom or inclined lower side of the hood30. The lighter particles of material are passed in between the openings43 which are formed between the slats and passed on up through the hoodinto the elbow .55, conduits 56 and 58 into the fan housing 22, whilethe heavier particles are deflected downwardly by reason of striking theslats on each of these separator vanes and are then dropped on to thescrew or conveyor I in the hopper I1, where they are then conveyed intothe grinding mechanism I6 for further reduction. From the grindingmechanism this ground material is fed through a conduit 21 and thenmixed with the lighter material that is carried over the top of the hoodinto the fan casing.

Tests have shown that certain materials that have been fed through thisimproved separating mechanism, that upwards .of seventy-five per cent(75%) of the material has been carried over the top of the separator,thereby, only necessitating the grinding of twenty-five per cent (25%)of the material that has heretofore been ground by machines of thischaracter or type. Obviously this machine increases the capacity fourhundred per cent (400%) under such conditions. The lever 53 permits allthe separating vanes to be simultaneously adjusted sothat the separatingeifects may be increased or diminished according to the different typesof material passing therethrough.

In the above description I have described myv improved separatingmechanism in connection with a grinding mechanism. It will of course, beunderstood, that the separating feature may be used in connection withthe cutting mechanism only for the purpose of making two distinct typesof forage. c

From the above description it will be seen that I have not only provideda novel and improved process for preparing forage for cattle, but also anovel and improved separating attachment for a roughage mill which ineffect, increases the capacity and efficiency of the roughage mill fromthree hundred to four hundred per cent over such types of mills thathave been heretofore made and used. It will also be noted that by myimproved method of preparing forage for cattle, the lighter materials ofthe roughage are prevented from pulverization or dust form which hasbeen proven heretofore to have a deleterious eect on cattle.

While in the above specification I have described my improved method ofpreparing forage for cattle and a preferred embodiment which the devicemay assume in practice, it will of course be understood, that the sameis capable of modification, and that modification of the device may bemade to secure my improved methodv without department from the spiritand scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims:

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a roughage mill including a frame, a cuttingmechanism mounted on said frame, a grinding mechanism mounted on saidframe, an attachment operatively connected with said roughage mill,separating means carried by said attachment for separating certain ofthe materials cut by said cutting mechanism and passing the same throughsaid grinding mechanism, and means for subsequently mixing all of saidmaterials together.

2. In a machine of the class described comprising a frame, a main shaftmounted on said frame, a cutter head mounted on said shaft, a grindingmechanism mounted on said shaft, means for conveying the material fromsaid cutting mechanism to said grinding mechanism, elevating meansmounted on said shaft for elevating. the material conveyed by saidconveying mechanism and a separator located above said elevatingmechanism for separating the lighter material from the heavier materialand permitting the heavier .material to pass through said grindingmechanism.

3. In a machine of the class described comprising a frame, a shaftmounted on said frame, a cutter head mounted on one end of said shaft, agrinding mechanism located at one end of said shaft, an elevating fanmounted on said shaft and between said grinding mechanism and saidcutting mechanism, means for conveying the material from said cuttingmechanism to said elevating fan, and a separator including a casingmounted over said elevating fan for separating the heavier materialsfrom the lighter material and permitting the heavier material to pass'through said grinding mechanism.

4. In a machine of the class described comprising a frame, a shaftmounted on said frame, a cutter head located at one end of said shaft, agrinding mechanism located at the other end of said shaft, a blower fanmounted on said shaft and located between said cutting mechanism andsaid grinding mechanism, means for conveying the material from saidcutting mechanism vto said blowerk fan and a separator including a hoodlocated over said blower fan for separating the heavier material fromthe lighter material and permitting the heavier material to be conveyedinto the grinding mechanism.

5..In a machine of :the class described comprising Va'frame, a mainshaft mounted on said frame, a cutter head mounted on one end of saidshaft, a grinding mechanism located on the other'A end of said shaft, ablower fan mounted on said shaft and located between said cutter headand said grinding mechanism, means for conveying the material from saidcutting mechanism to said blower fan, a separating hood located abovesaid blower fan and mounted on said frame, and separating mechanismlocated in said separator hood for separating the heavier material fromthe lighter material and permitting the heavier material to pass intosaid grinding mechanism.

6. In a machine of the class described comprising a frame, a shaftmounted on said frame, a cutter head mounted on one end of said shaft, agrinding mechanism located at the other end of said shaft, a fan mountedon said shaft between said cutting mechanism and said grindingmechanism, a separator including a `hood mounted above said blower fanand a plurality of adjustable separator vanes mounted in said hood forseparating the heavier material from the lighter material and permittingthe heavier material to pass through said grinding mechanism.

7. In a machine of the class described, comprising a frame, a cuttingmechanism mounted on said frame,=5a grinding mechanism mounted ,on saidframe for grinding certain of the.ma-

terial cut by said cutting mechanism, a separating mechanism mounted onsaid frame above said grinding mechanism for separating the lightermaterial from the heavier material including ra separating casing, meansincluding a fan mounted on a shaft common to said cutting mechanism forconveying the material from said cutter head to said separatingmechanism, and a fan mounted on said frame for mixing the materialpassing through said machine and for creating a suction on one end ofand air pressure on the other end of said separating mechanism.

8. In a machine of the class described, comprising a frame, a cuttingmechanism mounted on said frame, a separating mechanism mounted on saidframe, for separating the lighter material from the heavier materialincluding a separating casing, means including a fan for conveying thematerial from said cutter head to said separator casing, a grindingmechanism mounted on said frame for reducing the heavier material, ashaft mounted on said frame forming a common drive for said cuttingmechanism, fan and said grinding mechanism, a mixing fan for mixing thelighter material with the` ground heavier material, and connectionsbetween said mixing fan and said casing for creating a suction on oneend of said casingand an air pressure on the other end of said casing.

9. In a machine of the class described, comprising a frame, a cuttingmechanism mounted on said frame, a grinding mechanism mounted on saidframe, a shaft mounted on said frame for supporting and driving saidcutting mechanism and said grinding mechanism, means including a fanmounted on said shaft for conveying the material from said cuttingmechanism to said grinding mechanism, and'me-ans located between saidcutting mechanism and said grinding mechanism for separating the heaviermaterial from the lighter material, and passing theheavier materialthrough said grinding mechanism, and means mounted on said frame andcommunicating with said last named means for mixing the ground materialwith the lighter material.

10. In a machine of the class described, comprising a frame, a mainshaft mounted on said frame, a cutter head mounted on said shaft, agrinding mechanism mounted on said shaft for grinding material cut bysaid cutting mechanism, means for conveying the material from saidcutting mechanism to said grinding mechanism, elevating means mounted onsaid shaft for elevating the material conveyed by said conveyingmechanism, and a separator located above said shaft and communicatingwith said grinding mechanism and with said elevating means forseparating the lighter material from the heavier material and permittingthe heavier material to pass through said grinding mechanism.

1l. In a machine of the class described, comprising a frame, a mainshaft mounted on said frame, a cutter head mounted on said shaft, agrinding mechanism mounted on said shaft for grinding the material cutby said cutting mechanism, means for conveying the material from saidcutting mechanism to said grinding mechanism, elevating means mounted onsaid shaft for elevating the material conveyed by said conveyingmechanism, a separator located above said shaft and communicating Withsaid grinding mechanism and with said elevating means for separating thelighter material from the heavier material and permitting the heaviermaterial to pass `through said grinding mechanism, and means mounted onsaid frame for subsequently mixing all of said materials together.

12. In a machine of the class described comprising a frame, a cuttingmechanism mounted on said frame .for cutting material passingtherthrough intoroughage, a separator mounted on said frame forextracting leaves and lighter materialsfrom said roughage, a conveyingmechanism mounted on said frame for conveying the roughage from saidcutting mechanism to said separator, a grinding mechanism mounted onsaid frame for grinding the remaining portion of said roughage, aconduit connected with said separator for directing said extractedroughage around said grinding mechanism so as to prevent said extractedroughage from being reduced to a state of fineness uniform with theground material, and means for mixing these materials of differentneness.

13. In a machine of the class described comprising a frame, a main shaftmounted on said frame, a cutting mechanism mounted on said shaft forcutting material passing therethrough into roughage, aseparator mountedon said frame for extracting the leaves and lighter portions from sfidroughage, a grinder mounted on said shaft or grinding the remainder ofsaid roughage, a mixing mechanism mounted on said frame, a conveyingmeans connecting said separator with said mixing mechanism for conveyingsaid extracted roughage unground to said mixing mechanism, and separatemeans for conveying the ground material to said mixing mechanism.

14. In a machine of the class described comprising a frame, a main shaftmounted on said frame, means mounted on said shaft for cutting thematerial passing therethrough into roughage, air separating means forextracting leaves and lighter portions of said roughage, means mountedon said shaft for reducing the remaining portion of said roughage, meansfor by-passing said roughage around said reducing means, and means formixing the reduced material with said extracted material.

15. In a machine of the class described comprising a frame, a main shaftmounted on said frame, means mounted on said shaft for cutting materialpassing therethrough into roughage, means for extracting the leaves andlighter material from said roughage, grinding means mounted on saidshaft for reducing the remaining portion of said roughage, means forby-passing the extracted roughage around said grinding means forpreventing the reduction of the extracted roughage, and means for mixingsaid reduced material with said extracted material.

16. In a machine of the class described comprising av frame, a mainshaft mounted on said frame, means mounted on said shaft for cutting thematerial passing therethrough into roughage, means for extractingcertain of said roughage having certain characteristics, grinding meansmounted on said shaft for reducing the remaining portion of saidroughage having different characteristics, means for by-passing theextracted roughage around said grinding means, and means for mixing saidreduced material with said extracted material.

JOHN HOLLAND-LETZ.

